ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY BULLETIN. 



557 



I 



I 







THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN GOAT IN NEW YORK. 



In view of the peculiar difficulties and impos- 

 sibilities surrounding all attempts to induce our 

 mountain sheep, caribou and moose to live on 

 the Atlantic Coast, the successful acclimatiza- 

 tion of a herd of Rocky Mountain Goats in the 

 Zoological Park becomes of special interest. 



In October, 1905, five kids, then about five 

 months old, were personally conducted from 

 Fort Steele, British Columbia, to New York, 

 and established in and about the rustic Goat 

 House in the southwestern corner of the Park. 

 The flock contained three males and two 

 females, — all of which elected to live and thrive. 

 They were given two well-shaded yards paved 

 with macadam, a brushy hillside of dry earth, 

 and the roof of the barn to clamber over. It 

 was quickly discovered that in this low altitude, 

 the Mountain Goat can not endure rain, espe- 

 cially in winter ; and it has been our fixed policy 

 to house the herd whenever a rain-storm ap- 

 pears. 



On May 20, 1909, one of the females gave 

 birth to a lusty male kid. which she successfully 



reared. Her offspring is now so large, so vig- 

 orous and so free with his horns, it has been 

 necessary to saw off the skewer-like tips of his 

 horns for the general safety of the other mem- 

 bers of the herd. Little "Philip" is apparentlv 

 quite as large and vigorous as any wild male 

 goatlet of similar age. 



Unfortunately for the mother, her maternity 

 effort at this altitude was fatal to her. After 

 nursing her offspring to weaning-time, she died 

 of what was really a general exhaustion of her 

 vitality. 



The four original members of the herd re- 

 main in perfect health, but the other female has 

 not vet bred. They continue to be shy of the 

 human hand, and although they will approach 

 almost within reach, they will not permit any- 

 one to handle them, not even their keeper. 



The illustration above shows one of the males 

 with his long, shaggy winter coat not yet fully 

 developed. 



